


Headlines

by Hekate1308



Series: The Home We've Made [21]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Inspired by Addams Family, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 17:24:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18286853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: The next crisis presents itself.





	Headlines

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to upload this series because I received excellent news this week - I took a huge step towards getting my doctorate. :D Enjoy!

The thing is – Dean’s always been aware that no matter how good Bela is at controlling the narrative, or how many reporters Crowley happens to know personally for reasons he’s not quite sure he wants to learn about, there were always going to be those who’d claim that his marriage wasn’t… well…

Still, it doesn’t make it easier.

Charlie, bless her, tried to close the tab when he came across her reading something on her phone with a frown on her face, but he was faster, and so he’s staring at yet another article proclaiming that he is nothing but a toy for his husband to play with until he gets bored and turns his attention to his next victim.

What he wants to do is scream and yell and throw Charlie’s phone on the floor to watch it break; what he actually does is pass it back to her and say lightly “Well, if this is his plan, you have to admire just how long he’s been sticking around already.”

She is clearly worried but doesn’t answer.

It’s just as well. There’s nothing else he can say.

Some people will never understand. He knew that when he first began his life with Cas.

* * *

 

Crowley, of course, has been living with all the prejudices usually levelled at demons for centuries now, and he never seems to have had a problem with it; it’s one of the reasons Dean goes to him for a drink that night to complain instead of straight-up telling Cas.

And of course the bastard has to take the reasonable route. Of course. The one time dean doesn’t need him to.

“You do realize that I, for one, have not sworn to be with you in sickness and in health, or to kiss and make it better, right, Squirrel? That’s Cassie’s job.”

“I just don’t want him to be upset.”

“Because you running out of your home without telling him what’s wrong is not going to upset him.”

Damn the bastard. Damn the bastard.

“Since when are you the sensible one here, anyway.”

“Ah, you know me” he drains his glass of Craig, “I have to make sure my OTP stays as nauseatingly happy as they have been from the beginning.”

Dean simply shakes his head, but he’s smiling. Somehow, he never thought he’d end up with a demon for a best friend, but he wouldn’t trade Crowley for anything.

* * *

 

Later, much later, he and Cas lie pressed against one another in the darkness; he told him everything as soon as he came home.

Gently, Cas, prefers books and the printed word and who therefore doesn’t spend much time on the internet says, “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault. It’s the fault of the jackasses who print stiff like this. But hey, that’s why we went public to begin with, isn’t it? Guess changing the world isn’t as easy as everyone thinks it is.”

“No” Cas agrees simply. “But if you were to go the way of least resistance, we’d never have ended up together.”

“That’s true, and that would be a damn shame.” Dean grins even though Cas can’t see him. “You know you love me.”

“That might actually be an understatement.”

Sometimes, Dean simply doesn’t know what to say when Cas tells him things like that.

* * *

 

There’s good press too, of course. Yes, sometimes it’s of that “Oh look at us we’re so tolerant but actually we understand nothing but still this is nice right” variety, but still. Try as some might, no one can deny that the world is changing. Magic is seeping back into it, for one thing; and Dean can’t help but think that it’s better place for it. Hell, even Bobby’s striving, with all the new customers coming in now that they know he’s cool with the supernatural. And don’t even get him started on Sam and all the creatures who think it’s rad they have an attorney who knows exactly what’s going on.

He’s working on a Mustang when Rowena drags in a rather confused-looking witch. “Dean, do you have time? Mildred’s Chevy’s stopped working and she doesn’t know what to do.”

The slight derision in her tone tells him that she had to use all her arts of persuasion to get her to come to him in the first place. “Sure. Let’s take a look.”

The old problem. Magic users who’ve become so reliant on it that, when a technical problem presents itself, they don’t know what to do. Small wonder Rowena sounded slightly annoyed; the day she has no clue how to handle something, Dean will know they’re in trouble.

* * *

 

Sam is thinking about proposing to Eileen, and about time, if you ask Dean. It was pretty clear from the onset that they were headed in the same happily-ever-after direction he and Cas took what seems like a long time ago, now, simply because Dean can’t imagine life without his husband.

He tells him all about how he proposed to Cas over lunch, and Sam laughs. “You got your fairy friend to make spring appear in the middle of autumn?”

“Of course. What else was I supposed to do?”

Sam gives him one of his “You do realize that you went straight from normal to crazy right” bitchfaces, but Dean just grins. “So, what do you have planned for Eileen? She’s going to say yes, by the way, just in case you’re worried.”

Sam’s relieved expression tells him that this was indeed his problem. Ah, Sammy. Trust him to believe that the woman who took to having a demon who still regularly sacrifices goats during his beloved rituals for a neighbour without batting an eye would shrink away from a wedding ring.

* * *

 

Bela’s call for help comes a few days later. Normally, she knows how to handle things well enough on her own, so when she tells him “We have a problem” as soon as he picks up his phone, Dean is very aware that things have gone awry.

“What’s wrong?”

“I am reasonably certain one of my colleagues has been ensnared.”

These days, she spends so much time with them that she should recognize someone who’s under a snare about a mile away.

“Shit.”

“You can say that again.”

Someone who works for the press being ensnared. People are going to be having a field day with this.

“What’s their name?”

“Peter. I think his new boyfriend’s the culprit.”

As if things couldn’t get any worse. If there is one thing the sensational press is going to love more than the victim of the snare, it’s them being coerced into a homosexual relationship.

“I know” Bela says quietly, sounding contrite.

“You have nothing to feel sorry for. We’ll handle it.”

* * *

 

That evening, Dean, Cas, Bela and Crowley, who likes to pretend that he considers himself far too aloof to help in such matters but who invariably shows up when something’s wrong, are standing in the shadows near the office Bela’s colleague works at. Well, colleague; she does freelance work now, of course, meaning she flits in and out of all kinds of places. Still, she has known Peter for some time, and she seems to like him, meaning he has to be good at his job or she wouldn’t.

“There he is.”

Dean knows she’s right at the first glance. While he never really got ensnared by Cas, he does remember the pull that first made him propose at first sight, and the subsequent times, before they were as crazy about each other as they now are and always will be, if he has any say in the matter, when he felt Cas’ powers. And Peter is walking around starry-eyed, barely paying attention to his surroundings. Dean wonders if he even knows what day it is.

“Did no one else –“

“Conservative newspaper” Bela tells him. “I doubt any of them have any experience with creatures.”

“How boring their lives must be” Crowley drawls. “Do you feel this too, Cassie?”

Dean turns to his husband, who nods. “Whoever has control over him, they are very strong.”

Great. “Well, we better fix it, then” he decides.

After all, they can’t let an ensnared journalist run around. The way he’s bumping into pedestrians, it’s only a matter of time before he walks into a car.

* * *

 

When Peter opens the door for them, he at least recognizes Bela, so he’s not completely gone yet. Dean’s heard stories, about how sometimes, being ensnared can fry someone’s brain, and although he’s never been sure he can believe them, it’s a relief.

“Hello Peter” she says smoothly, “Can we come in? I think I have the scoop for a story…”

“Of course” he says brightly. “Tommy just arrived; I vet he’d be delighted to meet all of you.”

“Oh, people usually are” Crowley announces, showing his most benign smile (which Dean still thinks looks incredibly sarcastic on a good day, but then he knows him rather well).

They enter the living room. Dean sees Cas stiffen and gently lays a hand on the small of his back. He knows what’s going on – it can be extremely distressing for creatures to feel powers like their own being used for evil.

Tommy knows his game’s over the second he comes in from the kitchen, of course. “So this is how it’s going to be?” he snarls.

“Tommy!” Peter exclaims. “This is –“

“The siren who decided that people are friends, not food. Or husbands” he spits. “We are better than _them_ , Castiel.”

They may have got used to people they have never met before using their names when addressing them, but he doesn’t care for his tone one bit.

Plus, they have Crowley with them, which means they are probably one insult away from Tommy’s insides being splattered around the flat, and that wouldn’t be good press, either. No, they need to apprehend him in any orderly manner and get him to Jody. She handles stuff like this rather well, these days.

“But Tommy –“ Peter obviously doesn’t know what to think; his perception of his boyfriend just declaring that humans are inferior to creatures is struggling with the snare placed upon him, but it’s a good sign he’s struggling to begin with, Dean decides. He’s still in there underneath the siren’s call.

“Oh shut up, you –“ And he moves to do just that, but Cas is quicker. A second later, Tommy’s on the floor, holding his cheek, with Cas standing above him, his fist still raised.

It shouldn’t be as hot as it is.

Dean quickly moves towards Peter. “We should get out of here.”

“But – “ he shakes his head. “I’m confused.”

“I know. Trust me, we’ll explain all of it – here – you do know Bela, right? You trust her?”

He nods.

She quickly draws him to the side and begins explaining to him what’s going on – it might be a bit much for the moment, but once he takes it all in, there’s hope he’ll be fine – when suddenly Tommy calls out, “Oh, Dean?”

He turns to find him getting up, his powers in full effect. “You really are a very handsome man –“

Before any of them can react – Cas looks as murderous as Crowley, and that’s saying something – he throws his head back and laughs and laughs and laughs. It’s so utterly ridiculous. “Really?” he wheezes, wiping his eyes. “You would have had it easier with Bela.”

“Speak for yourself, Winchester” she declares, apparently not affected in the least, either.

Peter is looking form her to Tommy, then back again, and suddenly decides to make a run for it.

“I’ve got it” she tells them, following him, “Just make sure he ends up behind bars.”

Tommy tries to escape, of course, but Crowley’s faster. Before they can blink, he’s got him in an arm lock.

“Good job, your Highness” Dean says.

“Thank you, Squirrel.”

Cas still looks as if he’s debating whether or not to do away with him altogether, so Dean draws him to the side. “Hey, everything went well, didn’t it?”

He relaxes. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I, but you know how it is.”

Cas kisses him and they move to deliver Tommy to Jody.

* * *

 

Thank God Peter is appropriately grateful once he realizes what happened and moves fast to control the narrative. Seems like there are some upsides to a journalist being the victim of a snare, after all.

“He’s been talking about moving into the neighbourhood, you know” Bela tells them during one of their barbecues a month later. “Seems like he’s didn’t get burned too badly from his encounter with the supernatural.”

“I think it’s just our natural charm. No one can escape that.”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course not.”

Dean grins. It’s a good day.


End file.
